One hundred people plus Pastor Wang Yi of the Early Rain Church in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, were arrested over the weekend of 8-9 December.
Sensing that arrest was imminent, the pastor drafted a letter, asking that it be made public two days after his arrest. In it he expresses his ‘disgust’ for Communist persecution of Christians, but says he is not interested in changing the country’s social system. His goal is to bear witness through non-violence and to denounce violations of religious freedom. God will bring down the Communist regime. The church has existed for thousands of years, but no political power has lasted thousands of years.
The right to proclaim the gospel
Although expressing ‘disgust’ for the Communist Party of China and its persecution of Christians, Wang reiterates his support for non-violence and accepts China’s social order, whilst claiming the right to proclaim the gospel.
